


Come Back to Me

by Miryuna



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alliance, Alternate Ending, LawLu - Freeform, LawXLuffy - Freeform, LuLaw, LuffyxLaw, M/M, New World (One Piece), One Piece Universe, Post-Wano Arc (One Piece), Sad Monkey D. Luffy, Sad Trafalgar D. Water Law, Wano Arc (One Piece)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23609539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miryuna/pseuds/Miryuna
Summary: Regrets, questions, grief, and a different end to the alliance than expected.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	1. Come back to me

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Regresa a mí.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23671357) by [Hanaiomi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hanaiomi/pseuds/Hanaiomi)



> Don't worry, no spoilers on Wano !  
> The question of how the alliance between Law and Luffy will end, makes me so anxious that I needed to write to externalize, hence this little OS,  
> Enjoy your reading!

“I came here to say a few words to you. Nami said it would be good for me to talk, to talk to you, even though you're not really here. To be honest, I don't even know where to start. We've traveled so much and shared so many adventures together! When I think back to the first time we saw each other, it's been so long ago that it seems like an eternity now.

We had stopped on this island, the Sabaody Archipelago, to find a surfacing for the Sunny and then to join the island of the Fish Men. It was Hatchy who recommended a man named Rayleigh. At the time I still didn't know how strong this grandfather was! And, oh, if you only knew how delicious Hatchy's Takoyaki are! The best I'd ever eaten! This trip was only supposed to be a stopover at the base, but our friend Camie, a mermaid, had been captured to be auctioned off as a slave! Like if I was gonna let that go! Those damn Tenryūbito! At no time do I regret hitting him, the one who dared to shoot Hatchy! And then the Navy came in, and surrounded the building. I wanted to take care of it myself, but you and Kid were damn stubborn! I didn't even know who you were, but your powers were really weird! Especially yours. I guess things got out of hand after that, for me and my crew anyway. We were no match for the Admiral. He almost had Zoro at that time. The only chance we had was to run, but we couldn't. I watched each of my friends disappear before my eyes, one after the other, and I couldn't do anything to save them. Why? Why am I still so weak? Why can't I ever protect the ones I love? Why did you have to leave, too?

The second time we met, I wasn't conscious enough to see you. When I was told that you came all the way to Marineford to help me and Jinbei escape, and then you saved us both from death, I was shocked. I kept wondering why you risked your life to save me when we didn't even know each other. You really have occupied my mind for a long time! I was hoping more than anything to see you again, to thank you for everything you'd done for me. You really saved me that day, and without you, my journey would have ended long ago. Then why was I unable to do you that favor? Why wasn't I able to save you, too?

I still remember that moment. We were wondering why there was a Navy ship, then Usopp saw you in the distance. When I recognized you, I couldn't contain my joy of finally seeing you again! To finally be able to say thank you, even though you kept telling me it wasn’t necessary. You were still serious at that time, huh, Torao? Remember? You used to talk in that cold, serious, distant tone, as if you wanted to make me suspicious of you. But why should I distrust you? Whatever could be said about you, whatever your reputation might suggest, I wasn't going to be fooled by rumors, was I? No, I'd rather follow my instincts, and my instincts told me to trust you! But why did you trust me, too? What did you see in me?

You'd come out of nowhere and saved Nami, whose body you'd swapped with Franky (I must admit it was funny to see them all in someone else's body!). I was surprised to see you again immediately! You had again that serious face. You said you wanted to talk to me about something. And, I had no idea what it was! It was pure chance that brought me to this island, Punk Hazard, but I guess it's just a matter of chance, isn't it? You were on that snow-covered hill at altitude. I still remember perfectly well how you turned round, and then how, in your solemn voice, you asked me, or rather, you told me, to form an alliance with you. If we joined forces we could surely succeed, you said. Then you displayed that deceitful smile that I know so well, declaring that you had a plan to bring down one of the Four Emperors. You weren't afraid, no. Because you're always right, aren't you, Torao? You're always looking far into the future, always planning ahead, working the plan. A plan that I never follow... Shihi.hi.... That I...never...follow.... Again Torao... why did you trust me so blindly? Why couldn't I answer what you wanted from me? I've caused you so many problems... You always had to make up for my mistakes... I know I've disappointed you, Torao... I'm so sorry... if only you knew. I'm just... a good-for-nothing... I couldn't protect you... I couldn't.... The tears won't stop flowing, Torao... How can I stop them? Do you know that? I'm so ignorant... You always had the answer to everything... You always knew what to do. I need you so much...

Cause that's what an alliance is for, right? Helping each other? Being allies is like being friends, isn't it? If we didn't help each other, we wouldn’t have been able to beat Mingo, could we, Torao? I still remember the feeling of emptiness that gripped me – as if I had lost my footing, as if I was drowning - when that bastard of Mingo shot you three times, right in front of the Colosseum. You were lying on the ground, motionless. I didn't know if you could hear me, if you were still breathing, if you were still alive. And I couldn't do anything but look at you, from the other side of the bars that were holding me prisoner. I had fallen into Doflamingo's trap, even though you had asked me to watch out, but once again I disappointed you... I remember yelling your nickname so loudly that it burned my lungs, but what else could I do but shout? I was hoping you could hear me, and that my voice could keep you conscious. I only had one thought in mind, to save you, because I wanted to convince myself that you were still alive. I couldn't bring myself to lose you, not you, too. And still, today, part of me is still convinced that you didn't leave, that you are still here. The others are telling me to move on, and I know they're right, but how do I do that? How do I forget you? How do I move on? I guess what keeps me alive today is the hope of seeing you again.

When I lost Ace, the pain and remorse drove me crazy, as Jinbei had explained to me. I went crazy because I couldn't accept that it was true, that Ace was dead, right in front of my eyes. But you were there. Today, if I lose hope, if I have to accept that I'll never see you again, if I have to move on, wouldn't I also go crazy? But this time, you aren’t here anymore.

He was finally free, he was finally out of those handcuffs. He took me by the arm and we escaped through a corridor of fire. He was alive. I had made it. All we had to do was escape. But it just didn't work out the way it should have. I never knew how to run away, did I? He sacrificed himself for me. He gave his life for mine. Why people always have to die to protect me? Why did you have to protect me, you too? Why Torao why? TORAAAAOO! Can you hear me?! I'll scream until I lose my voice if I have to! So, Toraaaaaaaaaaoooo, I beg you, answer me! Come back to me! Torao... I'm begging you...

Again... I guess I can't... stop... my tears... from flowing...

Once again... I guess I'm too... weak... to handle... the truth...

Once again…

You know... Torao... at that moment when all I had to do was beat Mingo with one punch; I was thinking of my friends, of that birdcage, of the people of Dressrosa, but most of all, I was thinking of you. I had to beat him, not just for the sake of this country and its people, or to be able to escape, no. I had to beat him, so he'd pay for everything he'd done to you, to you. I had to avenge you. I had to take him down. In that moment, I was there for you, so why wasn't I there for you afterwards?

Sanji was back with us and we'd managed to reach Wano. We were there. Above all, I wanted to see you again. To see your deceitful yet gentle smile again. To see your menacing and mysterious eyes again. We were there, weren't we, Torao? The last race, the last fight? Since the beginning of this alliance, everything had led us to this place, this time, this opponent: _Kaido_. Sometimes I wondered, what would happen next. The alliance would be over? We'd go our separate ways? Become enemies again, looking for the One Piece? Still, I couldn't imagine making an enemy of you.

I still remember that time I couldn't control my body and I was forced to fight you. It was horrible. I never wanted to know that again. I never wanted to see your blood spill because of me. And yet, even though I wasn't the one who struck the blow, you bled again because of me. Why? Why can't I ever keep my promises?

_Come back to me, Torao. Come back to me._

Can pain and remorse be barriers to dreams? Or on the contrary, do they make it possible to go beyond these limits? To overcome these obstacles? I don't know. Because I never know. I don't even know what I want anymore, except for you to come back. Robin explained to me that holding on to the past is painful. I guess she knows what she's talking about. Is it possible I'm not going crazy? Is it possible that I'm going to forget about you? Then I'll resume my journey, I'll continue on my way, leaving you behind? You'd become just a happy memory that we sometimes think about? But I can't do that. It's as if it's an insult to reduce you to a mere piece of memory. You're so much more, so... Indescribable. No memory could describe you well enough. No words would be enough. Why can't I forget you, Torao? Even if I knew how, I couldn't. Why, why Torao?

No matter what I do, no matter what I think, I always see your strange, white hat with brown spots. I really liked your hat. Remember when I used to take it from you? You'd get angry, but you always ended up forgiving me, didn't you, Torao? I can still see the look in your eyes so deep and the smile so mischievous. I still see your weird tattoos. No matter what I do, no matter what I think, I always see you.

The same way that sometimes, when I'm asleep, I can still hear your voice calling me. And it breaks my heart and freezes my blood. Cause I remember that moment when I hear you calling me, but I couldn't answer you…

If only you could come back, Torao. There are so many things I'd like to apologize for. Would you forgive me, Torao? Would you forgive me for my unconscious behavior? Would you forgive me for my lack of attention? Would you forgive me for all the times I didn't follow the plan you took so long to prepare? Would you forgive me, Torao? Would you forgive me for not being able to save you? Because even if you did, I don't think I'd ever forgive myself. How could I?

I only came here to say a few words to you, to make me feel better. I know it works, but at the same time, every sentence hurts me. Every memory is like fire. It warms me and burns me at the same time. Every memory is like the ocean. So peaceful and dangerous at the same time. And when I think of you, I get swept away by this whirlwind of emotions that drown and burn my heart. In fact, every memory is like ice. Anesthetizing and burning at the same time. What should I do, Torao? Should I keep talking to you? Or should I shut up? If I shut up, maybe I'd hear the sound of your voice again, wouldn't I? But yet I keep talking, again and again, why? Because if I ever stopped, the sound of my voice would no longer cover that unbearable silence. Because if I stopped, and still did not hear your voice, what would I do then? I would just sit in front of your grave, surrounded by this absence of noise, by this absence of words? I would sit there moping, regretting? If I'm going to regret, I might as well do it out loud. Because maybe from where you are, you can hear me. Maybe I can. Maybe again and again. More and more buts. More and more tears. More and more regrets. And again and again…

_Come back to me, Torao. Come back to me._

Why can't I ever protect the ones I love? Why did you have to leave? Why wasn't I able to do you this favor? Why wasn't I able to save you? Why people always have to die to protect me? Why did you have to protect me? Why wasn't I there for you? Why can't I ever keep my promises?

So many questions that are eating away at my mind. Yet I know the answers. If I can't protect those I love, if you left, if I was unable to do you this service or to save you, if you died to protect me, if I wasn't there for you, and if I can't keep my promises; it's because I'm **weak** , always and always weak.

But if I'm weak, then why did you trust me? Why did you believe in me?

This question, however, remains unanswered and haunts me day and night. It haunts me because I feel that if I knew why, I could probably understand. If I knew why, I would probably be able to move on, wouldn't I?

Why did you believe in me, Torao?

Come back to me.

Come back to me and explain it to me.

Come back to me and answer me.

Come back to me, Torao.

_Come back to me”_


	2. I will be back

_Beyond the horizon, the wind was blowing on this distant sea, from which an isolated island was emerging._

_On the edge of the immense rocks rising in the misty sky, a man whose long black mantle undulated with the breeze stood upright, his gaze plunged into this infinite nebulous azure._

“I'll come back, one day, I promise you. But not right away, it's still too early. I will owe you an explanation, I know; and an apology too. An apology for what I did. Will you understand my choice? Will you forgive me for my decision? You are so unpredictable that I can't even imagine your reaction. My mind is still clouded by your mesmerizing smile. It seems that no matter where I go, I can't shake this delicate image, etched in my memory.

The ceiling of the auction house had just collapsed. I didn't know you well enough back then, but today I can say that only you, could have done that, right? Discretion has never been your strong suit, I guess... I admit I was curious to see you with my own eyes, to confirm if the rumors about you were true. If you were as unpredictable and tumultuous as the papers said... For once, the newspapers weren't lying. You and your crew got into a lot of trouble just so you could save your friend the mermaid. Not to mention the punch on the Tenryūbito... I can't help but smile. I still wonder if you had to be completely unconscious or perfectly sane to dare to do what you did. Probably a little bit of both. You have always been, and will remain, this mixture of genius and madness indescribable and incomprehensible, at least to me.

I don't know what happened to you then. I deduced later that you were separated from your companions. Then I learned that you tried to break your brother out by breaking into Impel Down Prison. Even though you were unable to find him in time, you still managed to escape from this prison, which is considered the most secure prison in the world government, from which only one man had managed to escape before. And it wasn't the first exploit you've achieved, oh no. Ever since you ventured out onto these vast seas, you have never ceased to impress the world, have you, mugiwara-ya? You've never ceased to impress me. And for that, you will always have my deepest admiration and respect. And that respect for you has only grown, day by day.

During the broadcast of _the War of the Best_ from Marineford, I saw you once again. Only a short time after the incident on the Sabaody Archipelago, I saw you again in the middle of this war that has forever marked the history of piracy. Because when you have an idea in your head, you never give up, don't you, mugiwara-ya? Is that called being determined or stubborn? A little bit of both, as always. And that day you were determined to save your brother, I know that. As I perfectly know the guilt that overwhelmed you, when you realized that you had failed to save that person, so dear to you. Yes, I also know the bitter feeling that twists your heart, that drowns you in regret and sorrow, while burning the crumbs of hope that you still had left. Yes, I know that despair, that emptiness, that void, that nothingness, which takes hold of you and sinks you. And it's because I know all that, that I didn't want to abandon you to your fate. How could I? How could I have let a person die for whom my admiration kept growing, along with another, much more special...feeling? A little later, when Emporio Ivankov had asked me the reason for my gesture, I simply replied that I had no real motive, that a pirate was acting as he saw fit; because, deep down, how could I have confessed my real motives? When I think back on it, I feel like an idiot. You would have been more likely to say out loud what you were thinking, wouldn't you, mugiwara-ya? On the one hand, I guess it's easier that way…

I still remember the wounds that had bruised your exhausted body. The mere sight of them was tearing me apart from the inside. And to this day, the cross scar on your chest reminds me of all that suffering. And from that day on, I never wanted to see you like this, unconscious and on the verge of death. Of course, I couldn't stop you from running blindly into perilous situations, and putting yourself in constant danger, as you always do so well; but this time, at this very moment, I could act, I could make sure that you weren't more hurt than you already were. I could save you from death, for I knew that it was that dark destiny that awaited you at the end. All I had to do was switch our two places. That's all it took. So I didn't hesitate for a second. Today, I'm sure that from where you are now, you're blaming yourself again and again for what happened next. And I wish I could tell you over and over again that you had nothing to do with it, because it's the simple truth. No, it's not your fault. I was happy and relieved to be able to save you, just like you did me.

If someone had told me a few years ago that we would form an alliance, you and I, I probably wouldn't have believed it. And I didn't believe it myself, until I found you, only two years later, on Punk Hazard Island. That island's aptly named, don't you think? You really wanted to thank me. And, in this icy atmosphere, this burst of joy and energy that you radiated, warmed my heart, even if I didn't let anything show. I think it was at that moment that I really saw, for the first time, that smile, which I never thought would remain engraved in my memory forever.

The alliance was formed. We had one goal: the defeat of Kaido. I never told you this, so I say it today, with the clouds and the wind as my only witnesses, but from the moment you agreed to join me, I knew Kaido would fall. Once you had made him your enemy, it was impossible for you to continue your journey until you had defeated him, wasn't it mugiwara-ya? I can still see that murderous glow in your eyes, which contrasts so much with your warm and gentle expression. That aggression that contrasts with such sweetness. I never thought I'd say it, but I've even come to miss your childish pout. I miss you so much, if you knew mugiwara-ya…

Three successive detonations then a long buzzing, pierced by a screaming voice. I vaguely remember what happened in front of the Coliseum. But you were there, you witnessed the scene, weren't you, mugiwara-ya? How pathetic I still feel today for having been so weak. I was far from being able to beat Doflamingo alone. If he fell today, it's thanks to you. And I can't thank you enough for that. You always tell me that it's the purpose of an alliance to help each other... ...but you've helped me more than anyone ever could have. You've freed me from a sentence I thought I'd be trapped in forever. Which is why my debt to you is eternal, mugiwara-ya.”

_When the words ceased, the only perceptible sound was that of the waves crashing gently against the rocky walls at the foot of the cliffs. From the dark thickness of the clouds at altitude, a solitary ray of sunlight escaped from this gaseous mass, to come and illuminate some waves of this infinite ocean. And even in this threatening darkness, light persisted as the ultimate message of hope._

_Law raised his eyes to the sky and let out a sigh, mixing relief and anxiety, consolation and regret._

“I'd give anything to know how you are. I know you're alive somewhere. Kaido's defeat, along with the increase of your bounty, has been all over the news. You've almost reached the end of your journey, mugiwara-ya. Soon we can meet again. Soon I will be able to look at that smile again that I miss terribly. Soon I will be able to hold you in my arms, to make up for all the times I didn't dare. The moment of our reunion repeats itself over and over again in my head, and each time it is different. I can't predict how you'll react when you find out I'm not dead, even after all this time. Which feeling will you express first, joy or anger? What will you do first, stand still or throw yourself into my arms? I have no idea. A little bit of both, as always? And what will I do, what will I say? I don't know either... I think I would have lost my words, that I wouldn't know how to justify myself. This is also why I try to apprehend this moment, by speaking aloud to the nature around me. But nature... it only answers me with a silence choked by the wind and the sound of the waves.”

_Law paused while sitting on the edge of the cliff, on the grass still humbled by the dew. He put his hat beside him, letting the wind blow through his black locks. He caressed with his fingers the blades of grass beaded with drops. It seemed to him then that the grass had begun to cry, too. And his tears ran down his fingers._

“Of all the unanswered questions that are running through my head, the one that makes me the most anxious is always the one about whether you will forgive me; for lying to you, for hiding the truth from you, for letting you think I was dead...”

_A stronger breeze than before blew over the motionless landscape, which suddenly seemed to move to the rhythm of the disturbing waves. And the next moment, all this agitation disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, giving us a glimpse again of nature's dormant state._

_The scene repeated itself in Law's mind. Every moment, every sound, every movement, every detail. Everything was still so precise, that he had the impression that it had only happened the day before._

…

_The battle was coming to an end. The dark sky was still cracked by the violence of the blows exchanged. Exhaustion was beginning to take hold of both sides. And it is in these moments of despair, when defeat appears to be an obvious fact that can no longer be denied, that the blows become more unleashed and more violent. Kaido had just seen his reign crumble before his eyes. At no time had he ever doubted his confidence, at no time did he think he would lose this fight. No, at no time. And, the greater the belief, the more severe the fall. And then, if he were to be defeated, he would not be defeated without keeping what little honor he could still save; if he were to lose, he would not do so without taking with him the life of the one at the heart of all this disorder._

“ _KAIDOOOO, I'M GONNA KICK THE ASS OUT OF YOU!”_

“ _I'M WAITING FOR YOU, MUGIWARA!”_

“ _MUGIWARA-YA, LOOK OUT!”_

_It all happened in a split second. Law had swapped places with Luffy, and had tried as best he could to ward off Kaido's murderous blow. The ground had split in two, fracturing the whole island. Law had disappeared in an explosion of dust and dirt._

“ _TORAOOOOOOOOO!”_

“ _TORAOOOOOOOOO!”_

“ _WHERE ARE YOU, TORAOOOOOOOO?!!!”_

_But with every call, no answer._

_Only a long, suffocating silence, and a tear. Then two._

…

_He couldn't keep his tears from coming out of his eyes. He wiped them away in vain with his right hand, before taking a deep breath._

“Will you forgive me, mugiwara-ya? I just wanted you to be able to continue your journey. And you don't need me for that. I won't be any help in getting to Raftel. So I pretended to be dead so my presence wouldn't slow you down. Will you understand, mugiwara-ya? After all this time, will you have changed? Or will you stay the same? I'll wait as long as it takes to get those answers. And, when we finally meet again, I'll still be the same, while you become the King of Pirates, mugiwara-ya.

I love you,

Law”

_Law rose to his feet and cast a last glance at the ocean, before setting off again, his heart still clenched, to the center of this island which would shelter him for the necessary time, before the One Piece was discovered._

_Owari - The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely wanted to find an alternative end to this alliance, where Law wouldn't be dead, because that would be much too sad! But I'm very skeptical, and I'm afraid that something will happen to Law during Wano (⩾﹏⩽).  
> Now all we have to do is keep our fingers crossed...


End file.
